Healthy Weeknight Meals

Easy to make, fast and healthy meals are a breeze with Kroger's Prep+Pared meals

This post is sponsored by Kroger. All opinions are my own. 

Sometimes I feel like I blink, and within that time frame (we're talking about .06 seconds here) I've gone from Monday morning, rushing to get the kids out the door to preschool, to Thursday night, making the kids' last school lunch of the week. It is no joke that the older you get, the faster time flies! I've been in a particularly busy season lately - mostly with managing this blog - and I found myself looking for any way to make my life a tad easier, especially when it comes to meals. There's only so much takeout I can eat before I'm sick of it! Enter Kroger's Prep+Pared meals. I've tried meal delivery services before. You know, the ones that deliver a meal kit to your door for an insane amount of money and you end up spending an hour in the kitchen cooking it to boot?! Yeah, those aren't for me. Kroger's Prep+Pared meals are actually a time saver, actually a bargain, actually healthy and actually taste good!

And y'all know I know my way around a kitchen. I've been cooking since I was six years old. When it comes to prepared meals, I judge with a harsh eye on my wallet and critical taste buds!

First, the wallet issue. My objection to some of the other meal delivery services out there is the price per head. It's just as much, if not more, than takeout. AND you have to do the cooking, including the chopping, cutting and sometimes even measuring yourself. You've got to wash your dishes and clean up your counters. If I'm spending what takeout costs me, I want LESS work, not equal work to preparing my own meal! Kroger's Prep+Pared is all pre-measured, pre-cut and ready to go. You don't need measuring cups or spoons. And at $14 per kit (serves two adults), you're looking at $7 a person. In fact, I was able to feed two adults and two toddlers with my meal, so it was even less per head!

I stopped by my local Kroger after I dropped the kids off at school, which is on my way home. If you live in the South, odds are extremely high there's a Kroger near you, too! The Prep+Pared meals were right in the front of the deli section - no need to wander the store trying to find! I literally went in, picked out my meal of choice, paid for it at the self check out line and was back in my car in under 3 minutes. Faster than a drive thru line.

I was extremely impressed with my meal choice options! Carne asada steak, chicken curry, black bean burgers, the list goes on! There were two chicken choices, two beef choices, a fish option and two vegetarian choices. Some were gluten free, too. The fettuccine and tomato cream sauce sold me at "cream sauce" so I snatched that one right up!

I initially pulled out a pan to boil water, assuming I'd need to cook that myself, but guys! It was already cooked! I literally needed one pan. And the only ingredient I needed to add myself was a little oil for the pan and salt and pepper. The recipe card was easy to follow with just four steps. One pan, four steps, and under 15 minutes. That was it. It was done before I could even get the table set!

The veggies were fresh, the pasta was al dente, I didn't have to chop onions or mince garlic and the toasted pine nuts provided to garnish it were what made the dish! There was plenty of sauce (how I despise dry pasta aka too little sauce!) I had the kitchen clean in under 5 minutes because I only had the one pan to wash by hand. 

If you're in a busy season of life like I am, and don't want to sacrifice quality weeknight meals for cheap drive thru convenience or you don't want to have to take out a second mortgage on your home to swing a meal delivery service, Kroger Prep+Pared meals are right up your alley! They're right in the front of the deli section so they're easy to find. Start to finish, my meal choice was less than 15 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients were quality and fresh, and the end product was super tasty!  

Bad Mom Screenshots

In a world where everyone airs their dirty laundry online, here are the best bad mom moments from mom groups on the internet

The internet is a funny place, no? It supposedly connects the world together, yet we're living in a time where people have never felt more lonely. We're supposed to use discretion on what we post online, yet so many post inflammatory things just to garner attention. I mean, even our own president does that, almost daily. I'm in very few mom groups on the internet - I ditched most of them because most are just too much - yet, even though I'm in the sanest ones I can find, the internet crazies still come out of the woodwork and make sure they're the center of controversial attention. I've screenshot some of the dumbest/most bizarre/most self-centered posts I've seen recently. I don't mean this to be an insanely snarky post, but all of these made me think, "C'mon! You're reproducing, you've got to be better than this!" Behold, internet friends: My bad mom screenshots.

I've edited out the names, photos and group they were taken from because I don't want to shame a particular person. It's more about what they're saying or the idea (or lack of idea) behind their post. It's also about what people are willing to put on the internet... And what that says about our society in general. Let's begin!

Is this woman even serious?! Who told her being a mom means a mandatory one piece suit?! Or that a two piece is only ok if you workout and don't have stretch marks?! How was this woman raised?! I have so many questions. Maybe she's just doing this for attention - like she knows this is America, not Saudi Arabia, and she can dang sure wear whatever she chooses, but just wanted a little internet conversation starter? Worse yet, perhaps she's an a compliment fisher and permission seeker. She needs a bunch of women she doesn't know to give her the gumption to wear the suit she wants. And she's raising three kids. Lordy, the therapy bill on that one will be steep. 

Ahhhhh, sexism. It's so ingrained into society, women still love to blame other women for sexual misconduct. Who knows if the story she cited is true or not (I'm guessing not) but the important thing is she'll teach her son sexism just in the way she processed information and talks about it. It will be subtle but the dominant idea behind the way she teaches her son to think critically. And the cycle will go on and on. High five. I bet she has no idea she even came off this way (unless some of the commenters gave her insight... Also doubtful!)

And this, dear reader, is why we have (and will continue to have) not only an obesity epidemic but also a lesser talked about oral decay epidemic as well. Say it with me guys: YOUR KIDS ONLY CONSUME WHAT YOU GIVE THEM. YOU ARE THE PARENT. YOU MAKE THE CHOICES. I don't understand why parents don't get this. If she's letting her toddler run the show now, Godspeed to her when he's a teenager. If she's constantly disregarding the advice of her pediatrician, any future health issues of her child are directly on her shoulders. Of course, she won't see it that way, she'll blame her toddler. Where's that face palm emjoi?

First, don't you love it when people start with, "sorry"?! You're not sorry, why are you starting with an apology? Second, is the world so sexualized that a dang stranger can't tell you that you have a cute kid?! What on earth? I get told my kids are cute, handsome, attractive, etc all the time by men and women alike. Never does my mind wander to a sexual place... Because THEY'RE CHILDREN. It's a compliment. Take it and move on! Thankfully the commenters were with me on this one. Strangers, know that it's completely ok to compliment someone's beautiful child. Most of us love hearing anything positive about our children! This woman is the odd mom out. 

You've got to love it when, in all caps, a post starts out with don't shame this post! It's like you're screaming to the world, I WANT ATTENTION! As a mom of boys, I don't understand why posters in mom groups keep posting about circumcision. People on all sides are REALLY passionate about it, and it always ends up in an online fight. Here's the deal: It's a medical issue that's between you and your family. It should be kept there. No mom in this mom group is going to be able to tell you what the pain level is like, lady. What a stupid question! Also, she's already done the procedure. Why go to a mom group and post about it?! Ask your pediatrician or midwife or whomever did the procedure what to expect and how to care for it and move forward. Why post that in a mom group when you KNOW you're going to get shamed for it? I just don't get the oversharing bad moms. (To be clear, I don't think she's bad for the circ - I think she's ridiculous for posting about it!)

Generally, I'm against calling anyone a "bad mom." Truly, being a mom is exhausting and grueling work. Often, there is no right answer and there sure as heck isn't a handbook written for us to read when we have children! But some online posts cross the boundary of sincere or plain funny and moves into bad mom territory. Not everything belongs on the internet! And should you indeed put it out there, don't be surprised when other moms jaws drop or eyes roll because what you wrote was so ridiculous, we can't hide our discontent. There's someone out there taking a screenshot of what you do and say... Bad moms be warned! Heck, someone probably screen shot this and is calling me a bad mom ;)

How To Have A Successful Play Date With Poise

Play dates with toddlers is action packed. Here's how to stay in it when you're a mom!

One of the most important things I do as a part time work from home mom (seriously, how long is that title?!) is schedule my kids play dates in the afternoons. Mornings are either preschool three days a week or time at home with the nanny twice a week. Afternoons? Those are for us and for play! On Tuesdays and Thursdays when they've spent the morning at home with the nanny, I really try and get us out of the house so that they can see friends and expel some of their pent up energy. This means I too have to have energy to keep up with them! Not only do moms need energy for play dates, but they can't be held up by LBL, or light bladder leakage. Yup, if you've had kids, odds are you've got some level of LBL and there's no room for that nonsense to get in the way of having a successful play date!

When your kids are ready to play, plan ahead for some fun play dates

One of the keys to success of a great play date that I've learned over the years is packing enough snacks. Whatever you think your kid might eat, or whatever he/she normally eats, double it. There's something about play dates that always make my children ravenous! It's weird, but it's true. Then there are the other kids that will be at the play date. They'll want whatever snacks your kids are eating too, so make sure to pack enough for them or at least enough to share. Think of it this way - your kids are going to expel a lot of energy, so they'll need to re-consume it.

You'll also want to plan for emergencies. If your child is potty trained, make sure to pack another pair of underwear and a spare pair of pants or shorts, just in case. I know my oldest sometimes gets so wrapped up in playing that he forgets to pay attention to the signals his body is sending him about bathroom breaks and you don't want to have to end the fun early! If your kiddo is still in diapers, bring a few extra. Not just for him or her - I can't tell you how many times a mom has looked defeated when we're out and says, "Oh my gosh you guys - I don't have any diapers with me! What's wrong with me!?" Those spares can be given out in a time of need, and guess what moms. It's only a matter of time before you're the one in need!

Moms make sure to plan for your own needs while on play dates, too!

Speaking of emergencies, you also have to care for yourself on play dates. Ever laughed too hard, moved too fast or even just sneezed unexpectedly? Don't be embarrassed. A full third of women experience LBL. What I like about Poise® is that they've got you protected no matter how big or little your problem is, from liner to thin pad to heavy leakage protection. Their super absorbent material keeps you 5x drier than typical pads, and the thin flex® technology moves with you so no matter what your play date holds, you can keep up with your littles! Want a $2 OFF COUPON for your next Poise® purchase? Click the link! Good through April 7. And here's a link of continuing Poise® discounts and offers in case you're reading this after 04/07/2018.

Play dates are one of the best things about having toddlers. You get to get together with your mom friends, enjoy some laughs and let your children burn off some energy. Use these tips to have a successful play date, making sure both your children's and YOUR needs are met so that everyone has fun. Laugh and play without the fear of a LBL accident.